This I Believe and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes^®

This I Believe is pleased to welcome our corporate partner, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes^®. Throughout 2010, Kellogg will sponsor our radio segments on Bob Edwards Weekend, our weekly podcasts, and this website. They will also help us launch exciting new initiatives to encourage elder Americans to share their statements of belief.

So how can you participate?  By writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief.  To get you started, we offer these suggestions:

Tell a story: Ground your belief in a specific event from your life. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.

Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words.

Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief, because three minutes is a very short time.

Be positive: Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

Once you’ve written your essay, please submit your statement to our project.

For a free, downloadable brochure, click here.

If you are interested in helping elder Americans share their statements of belief, please download this Facilitator Guide for Lifelong Learners. This 14-page document will guide you through introducing this project to our nation’s elders and helping them write—and share—their own This I Believe essays. You may also sign-up for one of our free webinars to learn how you can bring This I Believe to your continuing care community.

We look forward to hearing from you!